“Here is Ivan Dromireff, madame,” said Trischl’s voice. “I met him on the staircase.”
Both madame and I looked at the new arrival with surprise. He turned out to be none other than her coachman, and he stood bowing awkwardly, the while holding out a note between fingers that were much less clumsy than his vocation would have led one to imagine them to be.
“A letter from Prince Michaelow,” he said quietly.
“How is it that it has not been sent up in the usual way?” inquired madame sharply, receiving for answer a word of which I could not catch the meaning, but which wrought a great change in madame’s behavior.
“Sit down,” she said eagerly, “while I read the note. And you, Trischl, secure the door against intruders, and wait here until we decide what is best to be done.”
Trischl, having obeyed her mistress’s order, came and stood beside Ivan. It struck me that the footing upon which they stood was a very familiar one, for they smiled at each other in quite an affectionate manner. Meanwhile, madame’s proceedings were somewhat curious. She opened the note, upon which were merely written a few lines to the effect that Feo was enjoying herself and would remain for the night where she was. Then she took from her pocket a bunch of keys and unlocked a small medicine chest. From this she took two phials, each containing a colorless fluid. Her next proceeding was to fetch a small china tray from a side-table. Into this she emptied the two phials. When the liquids were thoroughly mixed, she immersed the note in them and let it remain a few seconds. When she lifted it out of the tray again, it was seen to be closely covered with writing, some kind of sympathetic ink having been used which had required acids to develop it. This is what was written on the note:
“My Friend—Our cause is lost. We are betrayed. Nothing but prompt flight can save us. Count Karenieff has much in his power. If you can dupe him for a while it will be well. Victor will elude his enemies, I think. I have long feared this day, and have been prepared for it. Ivan will give you a pass that will be of good service to you. But it must be used to-night. To-morrow every departure from the city will be closely watched. By the time you get this we shall be well on our way. Feo will go with us, and I trust we shall all arrive in England safely. You know the rendezvous. It will be better for you to be unencumbered by the child. I would advise your companion to get away, too, if she has helped you in any way. Ivan has already made his preparations.
M.”
After passing the note on to me to read it, madame asked Ivan if he were aware of its contents.
“I know how we are all circumstanced,” he said promptly, “and what the prince told me will be something similar to what he has written.”